Automatically-threading loom shuttle



C. H. DRAPER Dec. 16, 1930.

AUTOMATICALLY THREADING- LOOM SHUTTLE Filed Feb. 25, 1930 ATT UPNEY Patented Dec. 16, 1930 f 1 uuireof STATE PATENT oFFIcEQ CLARE H. DRAPER, OFHOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, Assrenon To DRAPER oonro- RArIoN, or nornnA n, MASsAonUsErTs, A oonronArIoN or MAINE AUToMArIoAn YannEAnINo Loom SHUTTLE Application filed February '25, 1930 Serial no, 431,155.

This invention relates 1 to automatically threading loom shuttles wherein the filling in the {shuttleis changed'from time totime, and is more particularly directed to the "5' means for imparting tension to the thread throughout the weaving operation.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide v an automatically threading loom shuttle with a rigid arm extendinglongitudinally of the 110 thread passage and about which thethread is passed on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment, and in some cases the rigid arm has had a thread'director .or scroll for guidingtheswirling thread in its circular path to wrap the thread about the rigid arm.

During the weavingv operation, however, it "frequently}happens that a loop of thread is thrown forwardly or towards the threading Y end of theshuttle as the latter comes to rest in the shuttle box, and in such cases the loop of thread, whether it be caused by, an overthrow or by a coil of thread thrown for warclly from the filling carrier or bobbin, will A become fouled with the thread director-to such an extent as'to cause thread breakage on subsequent picks'of the shuttle, and even though thread breakage does not occur there will result a variation in thread tension which will be reflected in the finished cloth.

In the broad aspect of the present invention the tensioningeifect upon the thread is secured'by a tensioning member extending longitudinally of the thread passage and about which the thread is caused to be wrapped by an elongated'spiralior helix protected from engagement with the thread by a guard substantially surrounding or enclosing the coils of the spiral or helix adjacent the 40 bobbin chamber, so that Should a loop or coil of thread be thrown towards the threading end of the shuttle, it will be intercepted by the guardand prevented from passing circumferentially about or between the coils of the elongated spiral or helix; V

The invention and novel features thereof will best be made clear from the following description and the accompanying drawings of one good form thereof. A I

In the drawings:

I Fig.' 1 is a view of an automatically threading shuttle containing the present invention, theibobbin holding end of the shuttle being broken away; A

lzlig. 2issa section on'the line 2+-2 of Fig.1; an h a A V e Fig. 3 is a perspective view with parts broken away showing the present invention with the, shuttle fully threaded} Automatically threading loom shuttles are usually provided with'bobbin holding jaws which ,permitejection of a spent carrier and theintroduction of another carrier'having filling, thread wound thereon, but since these parts are now well understood inthe art they are not herein shown and described.

- In the drawings the shuttle 1 has a bobbin chamber 2 in whichis detachablyisupported the bobbin? or-filling carrier 3 and'forward oftheibobbin chamber the shuttle is provided with the longitudinal thread passage-"4: and

a the sidedelivery eye 5. which communicates therewith.

Automatically threading loom shuttles: are

now usually provided with a device at the idelivery end of the shuttle for facilitating "threading bl-ock'6 in which is formed the longitudinal thread passage 4:. into which the thread passes when the shuttle is replenished with filling. The threading block may also "be provided with a thread director 7 between'which and the'wood of the'shuttle a passageway 8 is formed leading to the side delivery eye, and as shown, also,in the present instance of the invention, the leading end of the thread director 7 is provided'with a :guard 9 which may overlie the end "of the thread. director. The parts so far described are old and well-known and may be o'fany ofthe usual types ofthreading blocks.

Extending longitudinally of the thread passage is the thread tensioning member 10,

which, as shown in the present instanceof the invention, has its end 11 which is remote from the bobbin chamber secured to the shuttle or threading block, and about the tensioning member which is constituted as an arm, preferably of yielding character, in order to yield with the pull of the thread,the thread is passed an appropriate number of turns to impart the desired tension thereto.

In order that the thread may be directed about the thread tensionin member 10 on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment, the present invention contemplates an elongated spiral or helix which serves to guide the thread about the tensioning member as the thread is withdrawn from the shuttle. i

The helix 12, as shown, is mounted front- Ward of the bobbin chamber and has the end 13 thereof secured in fixed position, so that as the shuttle is picked, theswirlin'g thread will follow the convolutions or spirals of the helix and wrap about the tensioning member, as more clearly indicated in Fig. 3.

Associated with the helix 12 is a helix guard which surrounds the coils of the helix at suflicient distance therefrom to permit the swirling thread to pass about the coils of the helix between it and the guard and yet prevent any loop or overthrow of thread from improperly engaging the coils of the helix.

The helix guard may be variously contrived but as shown in the present instance of the invention it is formed on the threading block and comprises the enclosing members 14 and 15, the inner curved surface 16 of which is closely adjacent to and encloses the larger coils of the helix on all sides adj acent to the bobbin chamber, as more clearly shown in Fig. 2. To permit the filling thread to pass downwardly into the longitudinal thread passage 4 when filling is replenished a small opening 17 is formed between the members 14 and of the helix guard.

In the preferred form oi the invention as illustrated, the longitudinally extending tensioning member 10 is yieldable under the pull of the thread by reason of its connection with the helix and the leading end of the shuttle or threading block as indicated in Fig. It will be noted that the thread a leads laterally from the tensioning member 10 about a guide post or other suitable guide 18 towards the side delivery eye, and should the tension of the thread exert a pull laterally upon the tensioning member 10, as the thread is deliveret from the shuttle, the tensioning member is free to yield with the thread to maintain uniform tension and then by reason of its yieldability to return to its normal position again to take up any slack that may have occurred in the thread.

As shown in the present instance of the invention, the helix 12 is mounted in the longitudinal thread passage at the end thereof adjacent the bobbin chamber and its smaller coils extend from this point forwardly towards the opposite end of the thread passage.

The helix guard constitutes an important feature of the present invention in preventing any loop or overthrow of thread engaging about the coils of the helix, and if a loop of thread somewhat larger than the outer coil of the helix should be thrown forwardly when the shuttle is arrested in the shuttle box, the helix guard will prevent such loop or overthrew oi thread from engaging about the coils of the helix, and when the shuttle is subsequently picked. any slack thread will remain in its normal threaded position through the helix. The helix guard which encloses or surrounds at least the larger coils of the helix is only sunficiently large relative to the helix coils to permit the swirling thread to be guided about the longitudinally extending tensioning member 10 as the shuttle is picked, and yet not large enough to permit a y loop or overthrow of thread from becoming fouled with the coils of the helix. Should the loop of thread be throvm forwardly as the shuttle comes to rest in the shuttle box and engage the central portion of the helix, no harm results. either to the thread or the tension thereon, because the helix will retain the thread centrally and prevent its spreading about the coils which extend towards the end Ol the thread passage remote from the bobbin chamber.

From the construction described as one good form or embodiment of the present invention, it will be evident that a tensioning device is provided embodying elongated spiral coils or a helix for guiding the thread about the tensioning member when the shuttle is picked following replenishment and a guard is provided for the helix which practically surrounds the latter and prevents any loops of thread from becoming entangled or fouled with the spirals of the helix throughout the weaving operation.

in the form of the invention shown, the tensioning member 10 which extends longitudinally of the thread passage is formed as a part of the helix, the smaller coils of which merge into the tensioning member, and while this is a good practical form of the invention, it may be varied in these respects without departing from the true scope of the invention. Likewise, while the tensioning member is shown as having its end remote from the bobbin chamber secured to the shuttle or threading block, this may not always be necessa the essentials being that a surounding guard be provided for the coils of the helix to prevent any loop or overthrow of thread. from Fouling the coils of the helix or becoming entangled therewith, so that dur ng the entire weaving operation the same tension will he maintained, and the thread led direct from the bobbin chamber about the tensioning member to the side delivery eye.

What is claimed is:

1. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a bobbin chamber, a longitudinal thread passage and a side delivery eyecommunicating therewith, a thread tensioning member extending longitudinally, of the thread passage, an elongated spiral for directing the thread about the tensioning memher, and a protecting guard extending about and over the top of the elongated spiral to prevent the thread from entanglement with the elongated spiral duringweaving 2. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a bobbin chamber, a longitudinal thread passage and aside delivery eye, a thread tensioning member constituted as an arm extending longitudinally of the thread passage, a helix for directing the thread about the said arm as the shuttle is picked fol lowing replenishment, and a helix guard extending laterally of the thread passage and over the top of the helix and acting to prevent the thread from fouling the coils of the helix during subsequent weaving.

3. An automatically threading-loom shuttle having a longitudinal thread passage, a thread tensioning member constituted as an arm extending longitudinally of the thread passage and yieldably responsive to the lateral pull of the thread to maintaintension thereon and take up slack, a helix for directremote from the bobbin chamber for directing the thread about the tensioning member, and a helix guard extending about thelarger coils of the helix and acting to protect the coils of the helix from improper engagement by a loop of thread during weaving.

5. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a bobbin chamber, a longitudinal thread passage and delivery eye, a helix having its smaller coils extending toward the end of the longitudinal thread passage remote from the bobbin chamber, a thread tensioning member extending from the helix longitudinally of the thread passage and about which the thread is directed by the helix as the shuttle is picked, and a helix guard extending about and over the larger coils of the helix to prevent loops of thread formed during weaving from engagement about the coils of the helix.

coils of the helix.

sioning member constituted as an arm extending from the helix longitudinally of the thread passage and about which the thread is directed by" the helix as the shuttle is picked, said arm being yieldable in response to the pull of the thread to maintain uniform tension thereon and take up slack and a helix guard to prevent loops of thread formed during weaving from engagement about the,

7. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a bobbin chamber, a longitudinal thread passage and a delivery eye, a thread tensioning member extending longitudinally of the thread passage, a helix having its taperingcoils extending towards the end of the thread passage remote from the bobbin chamber for directing the thread about the tensioningmember, and a helix guard extending about and over the top of the helix in such proximity to the coils of the helix as to permit the thread to-pass between the guard and helix as the shuttle is picked following replenishment and prevent loops of thread from thereafter fouling the coils of the helix,

' 8. An automaticallythreading loom shut tle having a bobbin chamber, alongitudinal thread passage and a delivery eye, a thread tensioning member constituted as an arm extending longitudinallyof the thread passage, and laterally flexible in response to the pull of the thread'to maintain tension I thereon and take up slack, a helix having its tapering coils extending towards the end of the, thread passage remote from the bobbin chamber for directing the thread about the ,tensioning member, and a helix guard extending about and over the helix in such proxlmity to the coils of the helix as to permit the thread to pass between the guard'and helix as the shuttleis picked following replenishment and prevent loops of thread 7 from thereafter fouling the coils of the helix.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

CLARE H. DRAP-ER. 

